The Colorado Department of Revenue has released its monthly report on the amount collected in April for marijuana sales and excise taxes and licensing fees.
Since January 1 when licensed sales of recreational marijuna began, the state has collected $25 million in taxes and licensing fees.
The figures are available here.
A chart showing collections by county is here.
Uruguay is the first country to legalize the production, sale and consumption of marijuana. It released the new rules today. A copy in Spanish is here.
The government will control every facet — including setting the price. Pot will initially cost around $1.00 per gram, in an effort to freeze out the black market. The government agency calling the shots is called the Institute for Regulation and Control.
Today we know that trying to eliminate marijuana has not been an effective measure and has only caused more problems. The marijuana market already exists and is controlled by drug trafficking.
Continue reading Uruguay Releases Guidelines for Legal Marijuana Market
[photo from the Weed Blog]
The New Yorker has an extensive interview with President Obama, on a variety of topics.
On marijuana:
“As has been well documented, I smoked pot as a kid, and I view it as a bad habit and a vice, not very different from the cigarettes that I smoked as a young person up through a big chunk of my adult life. I don’t think it is more dangerous than alcohol.”
Is it less dangerous? I asked. Less dangerous, he said, “in terms of its impact on the individual consumer. It’s not something I encourage, and I’ve told my daughters I think it’s a bad idea, a waste of time, not very healthy.”
On Colorado and Washington’s legalization laws: He said it’s important “they go forward.” [More…] Continue reading Obama: Pot No More Dangerous Than Alcohol
If there were a cabinet position of Minister of Disinformation, my vote would go to Nancy Grace. Her latest: In a news interview about marijuana legalization in Colorado which you can view above or here, and on her own show here, after claiming she has “read every shred of scientific and research data out there” [sic], she misstates facts and misrepresents scientific research.
Her comments on her own show are far and away the more outrageous. But I don’t want to spend any more time on her than necessary, so I’m doing a single recap. [More…] Continue reading Ms. (Dis) Grace: Misinformed on Marijuana
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo will announce this week that he is issuing an executive order which will allow seriously ill patients to receive medical marijuana from hospitals.
The policy is intended for patients with serious diseases like cancer and glaucoma.
In light of how far the rest of the country has come, this seems like very small potatoes. But at least it’s a step in the right direction.
Demand was so brisk at Colorado’s new retail marijuana stores the first two days, that store owners are already worrying about how they will replenish their inventory.
Now, she said, marijuana store owners will all be scrambling to find wholesale distributors, especially on marijuana-infused products like edibles and beverages.
Replenishing isn’t a simple matter — you can’t grow marijuana in one day. But fortunately for Fox and other store owners, someone had the foresight to anticipate the need for temporary labor and started a temp agency called Hemp Temps:
Fox has a harvest ready to be trimmed, she said. And she will hire temporary staffers from Hemp Temps, a Denver based staffing company that specializes in growing, trimming and bud-tending.
On their website, Hemp Temps says:
We are the original, first, and only cannabis industry full-staffing company that focuses on meeting *all* staffing needs. Here at Hemp Temps, we combine years of experience and knowledge into a comprehensive understanding of the ins and outs of the MMJ industry. ….We are a Colorado company, based in Denver. We match dispensaries and grow facilities with top notch Hemp Temps to assist with their growing, trimming, bud-tending, and general industry needs.
Colorado made history yesterday, becoming the first government to allow marijuana to be purchased by adults for recreational use.
From Denver to Telluride, the lines were long. Here’s a look at the day in photos.
The stores are projected to generate a lot of income, as well as jobs.
Colorado projects $578.1 million a year in combined wholesale and retail marijuana sales to yield $67 million in tax revenue, according to the Legislative Council of the Colorado General Assembly.
This is a new blog I’ve set up to keep track of emerging marijuana legal and policy issues, both federal and state. Take a look around. (It also looks good on mobile devices.)
When retail marijuana stores and bakeries open on January 1, 2014, here’s what Colorado NORML says you should know.Legal: Stores can sell marijuana and marijuana-infused products to adults for recreational use.
Still Illegal:
Colorado NORML has an informative new webpage devoted to the state’s recreational marijuana law. It’s filled with practical and legal information. I highly recommend bookmarking it.
The Denver Post reports that Denver International Airport has announced it will ban marijuana possession throughout the facility.
Amendment 64 which legalized recreational marijuana use in Colorado, gives property owners the right to prohibit marijuana use.
The law specifically allows any entity “who occupies, owns or controls a property” to set its own marijuana rules at that property.
Penalties are steep: a $999 administrative fine.
TSA and the cops won’t be searching for drugs, and you shouldn’t see drug dogs on patrol throughout the airport, but if you are stopped for some other reason and searched, or go through security and it turns up, airport police will be contacted.
So whether you are flying, dropping someone off or picking someone up, leave your pot outside the terminal.
Will Colorado’s new pot stores have enough weed on hand to handle the demand on Jan. 1? Will there be lines around the block?
The Denver Post has a list of retail marijuana stores approved for the historic January 1 opening. Here are the Denver stores — for those in other parts of the state, check the Post article. Also, keep in mind this list is of approved stores, and some owners may decide to delay opening. The Post says it will update when more info becomes available.
In all, 348 licenses have been granted in [19 municipalities and 7 counties.
If you are wondering why your county or city is missing from the list, it’s most likely because your city council or county commissioners opted out and refused to allow the stores right now. Just another reminder that we get the Government we elect. You can make your disapproval felt at the ballot box in the next election.
To answer the opening question, nobody knows what demand will look like.
Some pot shop owners are planning to install purchasing caps and other limits to try to avoid a run on weed.